In manufacturing of a vehicle, structure components may be joined together forming a joint. In some traditional joints, splice joints are used in which an end portion of one structural component may be butted up to, or spliced together with, an adjacent end portion of another structural component and joined using fasteners, such as bolts and rivets and/or devices, such as ribs, brackets or splice plates.
As one example, a body of an aircraft is typically constructed as a series of spaced circumferential fuselage frames (e.g., hoop-wise frames) that define the general cross sectional shape of the aircraft, with a series of spaced stringer members (e.g., stringers) running longitudinally with respect to the aircraft body between fuselage frames. The fuselage frames and stringers provide structural support for the aircraft skin, which is formed of a series of separate pieces applied over the various structural support members and joined together. When joining stringers together at a splice joint, a one-piece stringer splice plate may interconnect the end portions of adjacent stringers to form a stringer splice assembly.
However, in many instances, adjacent stingers may not be suitably aligned to accommodate connection of the stringer splice plate. Such nonalignment may require use of tooling to align the stringers on either side of the splice joint. Following alignment, the stingers and the stinger splice plate are clamped in place, various shims are fabricated and placed around the stringer splice assembly, and fastening holes are fabricated in the stingers and the stringer splice plate. Following fabrication of the fastening holes, the stringer splice assembly is disassembled, deburred, and any required sealant is applied. The stringer splice assembly may then be reassembled and fastened together.
Disadvantageously, this process may result in less than desired completed products at greater than desired fabrication time and costs.
Accordingly, those skilled in the art continue with research and development efforts in the field of joining structural components.